The German investors’ association, DSW, has tabled a shareholder resolution to be considered at next month’s AGM of carmaker Volkswagen (VW), which is proposing a special audit into the actions of its directors in respect of the ‘dieselgate’ scandal. Last year the company admitted falsifying emissions test results in its diesel cars around the world. The appointment of the a special […]
Read MoreThe simple but powerful statement of solidarity with the notion of a free society that articulated the public reaction to the recent horrific events at the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris shows just how important freedom is in our modern age. Not just freedom of expression, but freedom of belief and movement too. “Je […]
Read MoreProcedures for voting at the upcoming AGM of Volkswagen AG have raised a few eyebrows at Manifest today (Tuesday 12th April). Unashamedly putting the Shareholders’ Rights Directive (SRD) record back on the record player, and turning the volume up to 11, (and just checking it wasn’t April 1st again) we were somewhat surprised, to say […]
Read MoreHermes, the fund manager owned by British Telecom Pension Scheme, has filed a shareholder countermotion in which it calls for shareholders not to elect Klaus Wucherer as the Chairman of the Supervisory Board but to appoint Willi Berchtold instead. Mr. Wucherer has served on the Supervisory Board since 1999 and hence contributed to its work […]
Read MoreFollowing the December 2009 announcement MAN SE’s acceptance of the two administrative orders issued imposing fines on certain subsidiaries, and the closure of the internal investigations into the matter, attention now turns to the Group’s AGM on 1 April. The meeting documents note that: Based on the status of the special investigation commissioned by the […]
Read MoreIn a move highlighting the changing landscape of shareholder-company relations in Germany, two DAX 30 constituents are meeting with investors in advance of the first shareholder votes on executive pay. Top executives from Siemens AG and Thyssen-Krupp AG — which will convene AGMs on 26 January 2010 — will huddle with several key investors today, with executive remuneration likely to be a point of […]
Read MoreWomen are dramatically under-represented in the boardrooms of major corporations in Germany and need state-imposed quotas to achieve parity, according to a recent study by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) in Berlin. Although Chancellor Angela Merkel may run the country, when it comes to business women only make up 2.5 percent of the members […]
Read MoreThe German Bundestag has adopted the Gesetz zur Angemessenheit der Vorstandsvergütung (Act on the Appropriateness of Management Board Remuneration or VorstAG). The objectives of the new Act are to ensure a greater focus on incentives concerning the company’s long-term development, to make it easier to cut pay when a company’s situation deteriorates while creating clear […]
Read MorePress reports today suggest that Leo Kirch is likely to participate in mediation talks with Deutsche Bank in an effort to resolve his long-running dispute with the company. Earlier this week, the Landgericht in Frankfurt (a local court), found in Kirch’s favour, and the ruled that most of the decisions of the 2008 AGM are […]
Read MoreThe Bundesrat is expected to ratify Gesetz zur Angemessenheit der Vorstandsvergütung – VorstAG today, following its approval by the Bundestag on 18 June 2009. The new law will then come into effect upon its publication in the German Federal Law Gazette (Bundesgesetzblatt). One key change resulting from the Act, which translates as the Act on […]
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